uMgungundlovu aims to protect industry from load shedding through IPPs

To stop industries from suffering during load shedding, the uMgungundlovu District Municipality has procured five independent power producers.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the municipality said that the uMgungundlovu Economic Development Agency has established an energy security intervention through independent power producers (IPPs) in partnership with the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business.

This will assist by generating electricity from renewable and alternative sources, said the municipality, adding the strategy has been well received by Eskom.

ALSO READ | Demand for solar power and inverters booms

In order to provide a steady supply of electricity during load shedding, Melanie Veness, CEO of the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business, said that the collective solution might include linking the power producers directly to corporate consumers, as well as providing battery backup storage capacity.

We encourage our industrials to join forces with us as we facilitate the wholesale supply of energy to them in an economical and sustainable manner at no additional markup.
READ MORE
Msunduzi contemplates escorting workers for their safety
She added that on May 5, the chamber and municipality will be hosting a summit that will introduce their partners to potential power producer partners and hopefully, from there immediate interventions toward energy solutions will be put in place.

The IPPs have been working on their implementation plans, which they will present to the district’s business community for review.
ALSO READ | Criminals now targeting solar panels

District mayor Mzi Zuma said he believes that the approach is a crucial intervention towards addressing the competitive challenges facing manufacturers.

The basic approach is to secure reliable energy during load shedding in order to keep production lines moving without interruption and without spending enormous amounts on diesel-generated energy.
Zuma said that the IPPs will be deriving energy from wastewater treatment works, landfill sites, large solar farms, wind, gas and potential energy stored in their bulk water pipelines.

The summit will give an opportunity to industries in areas such as Plessislaer, Willowton, Mkondeni, Richmond, Mshwathi, Mooi River, Howick, Camperdown and Impendle to make submissions.